Rail-joint support.



' J. M. LOPPLAND. RAIL JOINT SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.18,1911.

Patented June 13, 1911 Elwuwwtoz llllllllllllllllllllh JOHN M. LOFFLAND,0F WOODSFIELD, OHIO.

BAIL-JOINT SUPPORT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN M. LOFFLAND,1 citizen of the United States,residing at Woodsfield, in the county of Monroe and Stateof Ohio, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joint Supports, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to rail. joint supports, and more particularly tothe class of rail chairs.

The primaryobjeet of the invention is the provision of a support inwhich the meeting ends of rails may be securely fastened, so as toprevent the lowering of the joint, and at the same time obviating theloosening of the rails or the lateral displacement of the same.

Another object of the invention is for the purpose of fastening thesteel tie when such vis desired to be used in the place of wood ties,securely to the rail without the use of bolts, spikes, or other likefasteners, the

same can be placed atany distances along the. rail, the same as woodties are now "spaced; thus enabling the use of steel ties in 25 theplace of' wood.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a support of thischaracter in which the meeting ends of rails may be securely heldtogether and the cross tie clamped, so as to prevent displacement of therail ends or said cross tie, thus enabling car wheels to freely passover the rail joint, without possibility of the pounding of said wheels.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention, showingthe rail joint 1 and cross tie mounted therein. Fig. 2 is a sectional,view on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view:

through the clamp bearing for the tie.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Referring to the-drawings by numerals,

5 designates a steel I-beam designed for use as a cross tie, and 6 and 7the meeting ends of a pair of railway rails, the latter being of theordinary wellknown construction, that is to say, each including-abasefiange,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 18, 1911.

Patented June 13, 1911. Serial No. 615,329.

a web, and a tread or ball, and these rails are superposed above the tieat angles thereto, the said rails being detaehably held within a chair,as will be hereinafter more fully described.

' Adjustably supported upon the I-beam 5, forming the tie, is a clampbearing comprisinga block 8, the same being longitudinally channeled toprovide a bearing seat 9 for the I-beam when positioned therein. One

side wall of the bearing seat 9 is cut away p to form laterallyconverging downwardly inclinedfriction surfaces 10, the same extendingfrom opposite ends of the block 8 inwardly and intersect a horizontalopening 11 medially of the length of the block and extending through oneside thereof.

Integral with or otherwise "mounted on one side of the block 8 is anenlargement 12, the latter being provided witha tapering key-way 13, inwhich is adapted to be driven a wedge-shaped key 14, the enlargement 127 being provided with an opening15 correspondingly shapedto andregistering with the opening 11, and through these openings isintroduced into the block 8 a wedging member 16 which cooperates withand is disposed between displaceable wedges 17, each being provided withan outer inclined bearing face 18 adapted to frictionally engage withthe bearing surfaces 10 when bothof the wedges 17 are displaced inopposite directions with respect -to each other, by means .of thewedging member 16,:the latter being acted upon by the key 14 when driveninto the key way 13 in the enlargement 12 atone I side of the clampbearing. These displaceable wedges .17 serve to loclc'the clampbearingupon the tie, so as to prevent the displacement of the chairsupported thereby,

. as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The chair comprises a block 18, the same being longitudinally channeledto provide a bearing seat 19 for the rails 6 and 7 passed within theblock. One side wall of the chan nel 19 is cut away to form laterallyc0nverg-' ing downwardly inclined friction surfaces 20, the sameextending from opposite ends of the block 18 inwardly and intersecting amedial correspondingly shaped opening 21 extending through the outsideface of the said block 18.

Remoi ably fitted within the block 18 between the .heads and baseflanges of the rail ends 6 and 7, at one side thereof, are displaceablewedges 22, the same being provided with inclined outer bearing surfacesQS-adapted to engage with the friction surfaces when driven in oppositedirections with respect to each other after being in serted in theblock. These displaceable Wedges serve tolock the rail ends Within thechair and preventseparation thereof. The Wedges 22 are separated fromeach other by the inward movement of a wedging member 23, the latterbeing inserted in the horizontally disposed opening 21 and is acted uponby a wedge-shaped key 24:, working within a tapering key-way 25 formedin an enlarge ment 26 integral with or mounted upon the outside face ofthe chair, the said enlargement 26 being provided with a medial opening27 correspondingly shaped with the opening 21, and through which isadapted to be introduced the wedging member 2% prior to the insertion ofthe key 24: in tho key-way in said enlargement.

Provided in the enlargements 12 and 26 onthe ela np bearing and thechair, respectively, are suitable cotter pin receiving holes 28 adaptedto receive a cotter pin 29, the same being also engageable in suitableholes formed in the keys 14: and. 24, so that the ltltf ter will besecurely locked in the kcyqvays in the enlargements and againstaccidental release.

The chair is superimposed upon the clamp bearing and may be madeintegral therewith or may be suitably fastened thereto, so that therails will extend at right angles with respect to the'I-beam forming thecross tie.

that is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described, comprisinga pair of blocks unitedtogether and each having a rail seat therein, one wall of each rail seatbeing provided with laterally converging surfaces, displaceable Wedgesc0-. operative with said surfaces for securing rail ends in one of theblocks and also securing a cross tie in the other block, enlargementsformed on said blocks and having key Ways, means interposed between thedisplaceable wedges for separating the same, and means engaged in thekey ways for acting upon the last-named means.

52. A device of the class described, comprising a block having a railseat therein, one wall of the said rail seat being provided withlaterally converging outwardly inclined friction surfaces, displaceablewedges cooperative with said surfaces, for securing the rail end on theblock, means interposed between said wedges for separating the same, andmeans-acting on said last named inea s for operatingthe same.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a block having a railseat therein, one wall of the said rail seat bein provided withlaterally converging outwardly inclined friction surfaces, displaceablewedges vcoiipeiative with said surfaces for securing the rail end on theblock, means interposed i'ietvveen said Wedges for separating the same,means acting on said last named means for operating the same, and meansfor locking the said last -nained means against displacement.

in testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

.Vitnesses R. C. Koonrz, T. A. Jnrrnns.

JOHN M. LOFFLAND.

